The 15-Minute Makeover

It doesn’t involve lasers, chemicals, pills, or suction, you don’t have to make an appointment with a professional, there are no unpleasant side effects, and best of all? It’s free! In fact, this makeover can be done right in the privacy of your very own home, any day of the week, whenever you need it.

Obviously, this isn’t any ordinary makeover. This makeover starts far below the surface of the skin and results in a natural glow coming from the same place: way down deep. Could this be the Magic Bullet you’ve been looking for? Maybe.

Whether you’re a young mother feeling overwhelmed by small children running around you in circles all day, or you can’t get motivated once you’re alone after the kids leave for school, “The 15-Minute Makeover” may be just what the doctor ordered.

Mothers can sometimes be too panoramic when facing their myriad responsibilities on any given day, often leading to a feeling of being overwhelmed and unable to “start.” “The 15 Minute Makeover” is about compartmentalizing the most important, soul-feeding parts of your life and doing them a mere 15 minutes at a time, whenever you can, to help you get back on track and get moving.

Here’s how it works:

Use a kitchen timer, your iPhone, or your watch, and start the clock ticking for fifteen minutes. Next, choose from one of the eight activities below and go at it until the clock runs out. That’s it! You can put them in your own “order of importance,” or just do them at random when it best fits into your schedule. These are my top suggestions, but you can make your own list according to your personality, needs, and stage in life:

1) Meditation or prayer–use this time to make decisions about how you’re going to face your day (and don’t feel guilty if you have to put your kids in front of a short movie to be able to do this!)

2) Read something uplifting–a daily devotional, scripture, or motivating article from The Power of Moms.

3) Exercise–dance with your kids, take a stroller walk, jog on the treadmill, or do a short workout video. Whatever works, because utilizing natural endorphins is always worth your time.

4) Make a plan for the day–having a few realistic goals as well as planning how and when you’re going to take care of the necessaries will make you feel in control, and that’s always motivating.

5) Nap–just put your feet up and close your eyes for a bit. This is a miracle worker! (I have been known to fall asleep with children climbing all over me.)

6) Clean–pick up the one area of your home that is driving you the most crazy. You will be shocked at what you can do in fifteen concentrated minutes, and feeling a sense of order makes such a difference in your day. (Just don’t make it the play area if it’s going to be a disaster again in another fifteen minutes!)

7) Paper work/phone calls–take care of the most pressing piece of business that you’ve been putting off. I’m always surprised how little time it really takes to write a few bills or make an appointment or two.

8) Do something just for you–read a chapter in a book, take a hot shower, call your best friend, or do something creative that you enjoy.

Wa-lah! You’re a new woman!

Of course, this will never be as easy as it looks on paper, but the reason “The 15-Minute Makeover” is so successful is because it helps you do the things that are most important to you–the things that make you feel calm, centered, in control, and motivated–by breaking them down into bite sized chunks that don’t take a huge amount of time. The impossible suddenly becomes do-able.

The key is to not think of any of these activities as being bigger than they are or requiring more time than they do, as well as being flexible enough to fit them in whenever possible instead of thinking they have to be done at a certain time of day. Remember: small actions, big results.

Grand total of time taken out of your day? 2 hours. Don’t think you have two hours a day to play around with? You’d be surprised, especially if you take those two hours fifteen minutes at a time. Even if you only get your top four squeezed in between the housework, errands, homework, carpool, dinner, emergencies, and requests, you’re going to feel great. And when you feel great on the inside, you project confidence and beauty on the outside.

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About Allyson Reynolds

A Midwest girl, Allyson met a California boy in Japan, and after getting married and living in all three places together, they have finally settled down in the Mountain West with their four endearing children, ages 7-17.

After participating in the first ever Power of Moms board meeting (attendance: 3!), Allyson has been hooked on doing whatever she can to strengthen mothers. This enthusiasm has led to various speaking opportunities such as presenting at Power of Moms retreats and appearing regularly on a local daytime TV show, Studio 5. Her material comes largely from the stuff she writes for the website and as director of the Motherhood Matters blog for Deseret News. Before motherhood became her greatest teacher, Allyson earned a BA in Family Science.

In a parallel universe, Allyson travels the world as a freelance writer and National Geographic photographer. In reality, she tries to squeeze in as many of her favorite things as possible (her family, the great outdoors, photography, blogging, riding her bike, cooking, living like a tourist) while treating stains and signing school papers. Though woefully neglected, you can occasionally catch up with her on her blog, A Day in the Life.

Comments

Thanks! I use my laptop a lot throughout the day (standing only…no time to sit!) and I use a igoogle as my home page. So…I put my version of these 8 tips on my ‘sticky note’ so that I can see this throughout the day. This is great, I love REAL effects from this makeover.